Bryant opens NEC play with trip to Western Pennsylvania

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Northeast Conference play begins this weekend for the Bryant University women's soccer team, as they trek to western Pennsylvania to take on Robert Morris and Saint Francis U.

Friday's Particulars

Opponent: Robert Morris

Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. EST

Video: NEC Front Row

Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

Series History

• The Bulldogs are unbeaten in eight of the nine matches against the Colonials, winning six and tying two. Alison Guilmette (Coventry, R.I.) started the scoring in the second minute of last year's 2-0 victory at the Bulldog Soccer Field.

A bit about the Colonials

• Robert Morris is coming off a 12-day hiatus after a trip to the Midwest ended without a win in matches with Bowling Green and Fort Wayne, dropping their record to 2-7 on the season.
• The Colonials are led by Jane Schleicher and Kristina Kelley, both of which are in the Top 4 in the NEC in points entering Friday.
• In net, Sydney Bruckner has yielded a goals-against average of 2.13 and saved 68.2 percent of the shots on frame.
• The Colonials are looking to improve on a 4-4 campaign in the conference a season ago and make the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Sunday's Particulars

Opponent: Saint Francis U

Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. EST

Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

Series History

• Saint Francis has won six of the eight meetings between these two teams.

A bit about the Red Flash

• The defending champions of the NEC have started 3-6-1 this year, but are undefeated at home, taking down Loyola and Radford.
• Saint Francis is also coming into the weekend after a long break, with nine days separating their final non-conference game and their NEC opener.
• The Red Flash come into conference play tied for first in points (42), tied for second in goals (14) and first in assists (14).
• Alyssa McGhee leads the team with 12 points, tallying four goals and four assists on the season.
• In net, Julia Hernan has started all 10 games for head coach Brenda van Stralen. She has recorded a 2.41 goals-against average through non-conference play and a save percentage of .688.

Bulldogs Notes and Notables

• The Bulldogs are coming off a four-goal output against Vermont in which Arin Smalls (Marlborough, Mass.) and Katie Cronin (Feeding Hills, Mass.) scored their first-career goal, and Emily Gordon (Grafton, Mass.) recorded her first career point.
• Offensively, the Bulldogs are entering NEC play first in the conference in goals per game (1.56) and assists per game (1.44).
• Bryant has four players within the Top 5 in assists, with Guilmette in fourth with three and Smalls, Marissa Grasso (Shelton, Conn.) and Remi Manna (Pleasantville, N.Y.) all tied for fifth with two.
• The goalkeeping tandem of Rachel Brightman (Rochester, N.Y.) and Meghan Dalton (West Hartford, Conn.) has only allowed five goals in nine games, which puts them first and second in the conference in goals-against average, respectively.
• The Bulldogs are ranked in the Top 25 nationally in save percentage (22^nd), goals-against average (19^th) and fouls per game (8^th).
• Bryant has won six of their last seven NEC conference openers.